Instant Victory

I've been looking at the latest games downloaded from the FICS games database and have found some interesting examples. Today we examine three games featuring a line that should scream "instant victory!" to White and save him time calculating variations.

jandewit - foduck
blitz, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8

There has been much discussion about this defense on the blog. A good peek can be found here.

6.Qh5+ Ke7

The game has barely started, but this move signals The End. (Black needed to try 6...g6, with even chances.)

It is disappointing to consult the updated New Year's Database and see that there are 155 games with this position, with White scoring only 66%.

Attention class, look closely!

7.Qf7+

The recent game HJBUCK - MischaMaisky, FICS, 2010, continued 7.d3 d6 8.Bg5+ Nf6 9.Qf7 checkmate. 

The outcome is fine for White, but 7...Qe8 would have defended for Black. Also, White could have checkmated a move sooner than he did.

7...Kd6

The updated New Year's Database has 80 games with this position. Amazingly, White lost 15 of them. Perhaps the fact that most were either blitz or lightning games factored in.

8.Nc4+

nanebe - MischaMaisky, FICS, 2010, continued 8.Qd5+ Ke7 9.Qxd4 Two pawns down, Black resigned.

8...Kc6 9.Qd5 checkmate

(By the way, don't feel too bad for MischaMaisky, who lost two of the above games. He played two Blackburne Shilling Gambits against HJBuck on the same day, choosing 5...Ke6 in the other game and checkmating his opponent in 28 moves.)